Traders eye policy push

PINAKI MAJUMDAR

Women perform garba to mark the BJP’s victory at Gujarati Sanatan Samaj in Jamshedpur on Friday. For hundreds of Gujaratis in this city, it was a day of grand celebrations. They danced to tunes of songs like ‘machh gai saare desh mein chilli...singhasan khali karo, Modi aa rahe hain Dilli’. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Acche din aane wale hai — the BJP’s campaign song meaning that good days are here to come — rented the air as soon as the LCD screen flashed NDA’s lead in over 272 seats.

Upbeat members of the Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), the largest trade outfit of Kolhan, jumped into celebration at the Chambers Bhavan in Bistupur as the BJP inched closer to a historic victory.

“We were expecting good results. The NDA-led by Narendra Modi is forming the next government. It is an euphoric moment for traders,” said SCCI president Suresh Sonthalia.

Vice-president of the trade outfit Bharat Vasani said, “The entire business community is looking upon Narendra Modi for a policy push to bring the economy out of the present slumber.”

Traders started gathering at the Chambers Bhavan from 8am when the counting began. “I could not sleep last night as I was anxious about the results,” commented another senior functionary of the trade body.

He added that the reforms in taxation brought about by Modi in Gujarat should be replicated in the country to provide a boost to industries.

The trade outfit had also invited members of various political outfits to join them in watching the live telecast.

Former BJP state president Dineshanand Goswami and party’s state spokesperson Amarpreet Singh Kale also went to the Chambers Bhavan later in the day and joined the traders in celebrating the NDA’s landslide victory.

“We want simplification of rules be it income tax, sales tax or the Food Safety Act. The UPA regime failed to promote investments and create job opportunities. The business community is now looking forward to Modi with much hope be it ensuring investment or infrastructure development,” said Rajan Kamani, a leading businessman and member of the trade sub-committee of SCCI.

Tata Steel had also launched a campaign this year for increasing the voting percentage. Soon after the results were declared Tata Steel managing director T.V. Narendran issued a congratulatory message. “We congratulate the winning party and look forward to partnering with the new government. We must work closely together and are confident that the new government will provide a direction for the growth of the country.”